"Continue Steadfastly In Prayer" -- Colossians 4:2-18

The Tenth and Final in a Series of Sermons on Colossians

Whenever we preach through a letter such as Paul’s letter to the church in Colossae, we can become so preoccupied with its message and application to our own situation, it is easy to forget that these letters were intended to be read aloud to a congregation composed of first century Christian believers–our brothers and sisters in Christ–with whom we will spend an eternity.  When we come to the end of a New Testament letter such as this, if we take the time to consider this material, we can gain a fascinating glimpse into the lives of those people who served this church, who worshiped in this church, as well as learning of their comings and goings while at the same time witness our Lord’s faithfulness to his people two thousand years ago in the midst of a very pagan first century Greco-Roman world.

Paul was imprisoned in Rome when his letter to Colossians was written.  Not sure of the outcome of his appeal to Caesar, Paul he makes no comment on whether or not he plans to visit the cities of the Lycus Valley (Colossae, Laodicea, and Hieropolis).  Paul had never been to Colossae (2:1) and did not know personally many of the Christians there–in contrast to his letters to Philippi or Ephesus, cities in which he had stayed and therefore knew well many of the members of the church to which he was writing.  In light of the present uncertainties, Paul’s messengers Tychicus and Onesimus will come to Colossae in person and fill them in the details which Paul is not able to include in his letter.  But it becomes obvious that as we read Paul’s closing words to the Colossians, we are indeed reading someone else’s mail.
 
We now wrap-up our ten part series on Paul’s letter to the Colossians.  Next time we’ll begin a new series on Galatians, likely the first canonical letter written by Paul, as early as 47-48 AD.  As we wrap up our time in Colossians this week, we will do something a bit differently.  Given the personal nature of this closing section, we will begin by looking at Paul’s closing comments (vv. 7-18) before we turn to Paul’s exhortation to the Colossians to continue in prayer and to be faithful in their Christian witness, found in vv. 2-6.  The application in this section speaks directly to us and our situation, so verses 2-6 are a more suitable place to end our time in this epistle.

The closing material (vv. 7-18) contains a number of directives to the Christians in Colossae as Paul has much to say, but little space and time to do so.  He commissions two messengers to take this letter to Colossae (vv. 7-9).  He also sends a series of greetings (in vv. 10-15).  Next, Paul directs that this letter is to be forwarded to the church in Laodicea (v. 16) because, presumably, as a neighboring church to Colossae, the Laodiceans faced the same false teaching as the Colossians.  Finally, Paul exhorts a man named Archippus about his ministry (v. 17), before sending his blessing to the Colossians (v. 18).

Paul wraps up by endorsing the messengers he is sending back to Colossae, two men named Tychicus and Onesimus.  In verses 7-9, Paul details that “Tychicus will tell you all about my activities.  He is a beloved brother and faithful minister and fellow servant in the Lord.  I have sent him to you for this very purpose, that you may know how we are and that he may encourage your hearts, and with him Onesimus, our faithful and beloved brother, who is one of you. They will tell you of everything that has taken place here.”  Tychicus plays a prominent role in Paul’s later ministry.  According to Acts 20:4, Tychicus was from “Asia” (Asia Minor–Turkey) and accompanied Paul on his final visit to Jerusalem (to bring famine relief to the Jewish Christians from their Gentile brothers and sisters in Greece).  Paul speaks quite highly of Tychicus, calling him a beloved brother and faithful minister.  He too is a fellow servant of the Lord–recalling Paul’s previous discussion about how all Christians are servants of Jesus, their true and heavenly master

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"From the Lord You Will Receive the Inheritance" -- Colossians 3:18-4:1

The Ninth in a Series of Sermons on Colossians

As Christians in 21st century America, we find ourselves increasingly at odds with much of our culture.  One place in particular where the tension is great concerns the nature and character of the family–which according to Scripture is the fundamental building block of human society.  Another related source of tension is the idea of calling, vocation, and the value of work–the task assigned to Adam in Eden.  Both matters are addressed in our text;  Colossians 3:18-4:1.  Paul instructs the Colossians in the proper relationship of husbands and wives, of parents and children, and servants to masters.  But he does so in the context of an entirely different cultural situation than our own, the Greco-Roman world of the first century.  But while the details of the cultural situation of Paul’s day are substantially different from our own, as we will see, much of what Paul says to the Colossians about family and work, has a direct impact upon our current circumstances.  So, there will be much for us here in terms of application.

We are continuing our series on Paul’s letter to the church in Colossae, which is the apostle’s response to an insurgent heresy facing the churches in the Lycus Valley of Asia Minor.  As best as we can tell, the Colossian Heresy seemed to be a combination of a heretical form of Judaism, mixed with some sort of local paganism.  Paul’s response to this challenge has been to reaffirm the supremacy of Jesus Christ, who is creator, sustainer, and ruler of all things.  It is Jesus who saves his people from God’s wrath on the day of final judgment through his death upon the cross.  As Paul explains to the Colossians, all those who trust in Jesus are united to him in heaven, as he renews God’s people in the original image in which Adam was created, and from which he (and we) had fallen.  Much of what Paul says about the role and purpose of the family echoes the creation account, as well as the cultural mandate, and flows directly out of his instructions to the Colossians as to how Christians participate in the new creation ushered in by Jesus’ death, resurrection, and ascension.
 
The Lordship of Jesus over all things will figure prominently in Paul’s discussion about family relationships along with that of servants and masters.  Those teaching the Colossian Heresy were advocating the worship of angels, seeking visions, and distorting the law of God, in a futile effort to take control over the invisible forces and fates of the universe (the unseen).  But learning secret religious principles and practicing rigorous self-denial may have the appearance of wisdom but does little to stop fleshly indulgence.  The pagan impulse to master unseen spirits and spiritual forces is a vain attempt to gain an upper hand over things already in subjection to Jesus.  After pointing out these spiritual principles and religious rules were nothing but the invention of men, Paul reminds the Colossians that Jesus has conquered death and the grave, and then ascended to the Father’s right hand, where his people are to set their hearts and minds so that we gain a heavenly perspective on earthly things.

In the second half of his letters, it is customary for Paul to offer a series of imperatives (commands) which flow from the believer’s right standing before God (justification).  In his Colossian letter, however, Paul’s focus is upon our union with Christ at the Father’s right hand (the indicative).  He describes the Christian life in terms of dying to sexual immorality and idolatry.  He speaks of putting off sins such as anger, malice, and lying.  He exhorts the Colossians to put on Christ, as one puts on clean clothes after a shower.  This struggle with sin, depicted with the metaphor of a change in clothing, characterizes the Christian life because all Christians are united to Jesus who renews us in his image, a life-long process which involves the striping off (like dirty clothes) of those sinful behaviors for which Jesus died and which characterized our old selves (what we were in Adam), yet which are inconsistent with what we have become in Christ (a new self).

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"Let the Word of Christ Dwell in You Richly" -- Colossians 3:12-17

The Eighth in a Series of Sermons on Colossians

Nothing feels better after working out or finishing a grimy project than to take a shower and escape out of our sweaty or dirty clothes.  This image is not far from what Paul has in mind in Colossians 3:10, when he speaks of the Christian life as putting off the “old self” (what we were in Adam–enslaved to the flesh) and the putting on of a “new self” (what we are in Christ–dead to sin, but alive to God).  As Paul explains, those who trust in Jesus and are united to him through faith, will die to certain conduct (sexual immorality and covetousness–which Paul calls idolatry), and will “put away” other sinful conduct, such as wrath, anger, slander, and lying.  These behaviors characterize the old self and its practices.  But all those united to Jesus Christ have put on a new self, so their conduct as Christians grows out of the renewal of the divine image within us (which results from regeneration).  It is this new behavior, characteristic of the new self, which Paul continues to describe in Colossians 3:12-17, our text.

We are resuming our series on Paul’s letter to the Colossians, one of Paul’s “prison letters,” identified as such because they were written during that time when Paul was under house arrest in Rome, awaiting his appearance before Caesar Nero.  The Colossian church had been founded several years earlier in the Lycus Valley of Asia Minor.  One of the pastors from the Colossian church (Epaphras) made his way to Rome to seek advice from the apostle about a serious new challenge to the churches in the region–the so-called “Colossian Heresy.”  From what we can glean from Paul’s response, this heresy was a mixture of Judaism and paganism.  Adherents worshiped angels, sought visions, and practiced a rigorous form of asceticism grounded in obedience to the law of Moses.

The letter to the Colossians is Paul’s response.  The apostle reminds the Colossians of the supremacy of Jesus (chapters 1 and 2)–who is the creator, sustainer, and ruler of all things.  It is Jesus who has reconciled sinners with God.  And it is Jesus whose death frees us from the guilt and power of sin.  All believers are united to Jesus who rules and reigns over all things from the right hand of God–symbolic of Jesus’ authority and power.  Furthermore, believers have been buried with Jesus and then raised with him in newness of life in their baptism (Colossians 2:11-12).  Because of this union with Christ, Paul exhorts the Colossians in 3:1, “If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God.”  

The best way to defeat the challenge of those who seek to disqualify them from the prize earned for them by Jesus, Paul tells the Colossians, is to focus upon their union with Christ so as to gain a heavenly perspective on earthly things.  In doing so, we will indeed begin to do the things Paul exhorts to the Colossians to do–we will strive to put to death sexual sin and idolatry, and we will strive to put off the sinful conduct mentioned in the previous verses.  Why?  Because we are united to Jesus Christ by faith and indwelt by his Holy Spirit.  This is what those in union with Jesus do–fight against sin.

The doctrinal error spreading throughout the Lycus Valley was typical of Greco-Roman religion of the first century.  This pagan impulse can be seen in the stress upon learning secret religious techniques and rules (the latter taken from Judaism and the commandments of God), so as to gain authority over the invisible forces of the world (spirits).  Apparently, those teaching the Colossian heresy taught that the worship of angels (mere creatures–not the creator) and the quest for visions (in an effort to gain knowledge of secret things) would give the followers of this heresy the spiritual energy needed to live a life of rigorous self-denial–avoiding certain foods, keeping Jewish feasts and holidays.  All of this was done in an effort to master the sinful flesh–human lust and desire.

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"Set Your Minds on Things That Are Above" -- Colossians 3:1-11

The Seventh in a Series of Sermons on Colossians

A new church had been established in the village of Colossae–a small, backwater town in the Lycus Valley in Asia Minor.  The church was doing well, but was facing a group of false teachers advocating what is known today as the “Colossian Heresy.”  This heresy combined elements of local pagan religion and Judaism.  Its adherents worshiped angels, sought visions, practiced a rigorous asceticism (self-denial), but also observed Jewish feasts, new moons, and the Sabbath.  All of this would have made sense in first century Greco-Roman culture–where syncretistic religions (various religions mixing together) were common–but antithetical to biblical Christianity.

Paul’s instructions to the Colossians as to how to respond to this heretical teaching was crystal clear.  Do not allow false teachers who do not the have the mind of Christ to pass judgment upon you when you refuse to follow their rules or spiritual principles.  Religious rules and regulations taught by these false teachers may have the appearance of wisdom, but can do absolutely nothing to restrain the indulgence of the flesh (the sinful nature).  In the face of this challenge, Paul exhorts the Colossians to stand firm and not allow themselves to be disqualified from the inheritance already won for them by Jesus Christ in his death and resurrection.  

Paul’s answer to the Colossian heresy may be crystal clear but his response raises a question which lurks in the background of all discussions of the Christian life.  If the Colossians were not to be taken in by what Paul calls deceptive philosophy and humanly invented rules and spiritual principles–which he says are contrary to God’s revelation in Jesus Christ–then what standard are the Colossians to follow when seeking to live as the new creatures they now are in Christ?  The answer is equally clear–the standard of conduct for the Christian is law of God as revealed to Israel on Mount Sinai.  In Colossians chapter 3, Paul will exhort the Colossians to adopt a heavenly perspective while living the Christian life–in contrast to the Colossian Heresy which focuses upon earthly things which are destined to perish.  This heaven-focused perspective will enable them to do those things pleasing to God and beneficial to our neighbor  (as revealed in the law of God) and yet obey in such a way that they do not re-enslave themselves to the flesh (the sinful nature) which dominates all Christians before they are united to Christ.  

We are now well into the second half of Paul’s letter to the Colossians (we will be considering chapter 3:1-11), which, as we have saw last time, comes in that section of Paul’s letters usually devoted to commands and instructions for all those who trust in Jesus Christ (as explained in the first half of his letters).  In his death and resurrection, Jesus has already broken the power of sin (which Paul also speaks of as the “flesh”) which enslaved us to sinful desires, caused us to be drawn to false religion, and stake our eternal hopes on earthly things destined to perish.  

Keeping the indicatives (statements of fact–i.e., who Jesus is and what he has done for us) and the imperatives (the commands and instructions which come to those already participants in the new creation through their union with Christ) distinct, is vital in making proper sense of Paul’s letters.  The distinction between what is promised (gospel/indicative) and what is commanded (law/imperative) is the basis for the distinction between law and gospel which is so fundamental in understanding both justification (the once for all declaration that we are righteous before God) and sanctification (the process through which God renews us more and more into the image of Jesus Christ).

As we turn to our text (verse 1 of chapter 3), Paul reminds the Colossians of the indicative of the new creation before exhorting them to think and do certain things which reflect who we are in Christ (the imperative).  Notice how the imperative (the command) flows directly of the indicative (promise).  The apostle writes, “if then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God.”  The “if” here is rhetorical.  It should be understood in the sense that “since you have been raised with Christ,” a statement of fact, not something which is still an open question.  Paul is referring to our union with Christ, a major theme in his theology.

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"The Indulgence of the Flesh" -- Colossians 2:16-23

The Sixth in a Series of Sermons on Colossians

Paul’s letters usually contain two parts.  Generally speaking, the first half of his letters deal with the gospel as grounded in the doing and dying of Jesus, the benefits of which become ours only through faith in Jesus’s person (as Messiah and Son of God) and work (his obedience, death, and resurrection).  These God-given promises (i.e., the indicative mood) are spelled out as facts which believers must understand to be true, and then in which we trust (rely upon) as the basis for our justification before God and the gift of eternal life which flows from a not guilty verdict and our union with Christ.  The second half of Paul’s letters (usually) contain a series of commands or instruction which explain how those who embrace the gospel promises through faith, as explained in the first half of his letters, are now to live in light of their faith in Jesus (the imperative mood).  

Getting this distinction between indicative and imperative right and keeping it clear enables us to understand what is commonly known as the proper distinction between law (command) and gospel (promise).  We can also speak of this as the distinction between justification (being declared righteous before God) and sanctification (in which God conforms us to the image of Christ).  The gospel indicative is exactly what we found in our study of the first half of Colossians (1:1-2:15), which ends with the declaration “and you, who were dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made alive together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses, by canceling the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands. This he set aside, nailing it to the cross.”  The second half of Colossians (vv. 2:16-4:19), opens with the imperative in verse 16, “therefore let no one pass judgment on you,” letting us know that a series of commands and instructions are coming to all those whose sins have been forgiven through the death and resurrection of Jesus.

When we read Paul’s letter to the Colossians, we are reading Paul’s mail to a church in the Lycus Valley in Asia Minor–a region in southwestern Turkey with several new churches (in Colossae and Laodicea), but which were facing a serious challenge from a destructive heresy sweeping through the region.  Scholars have long debated both the source and the specifics of what is commonly identified as the “Colossian Heresy.”  From what Epaphras told Paul (Epaphras was likely one of the pastors of this new church, who had made his way to Rome, when Paul was imprisoned there), the Colossian heresy was very likely a Jewish heresy which orthodox Jews would have renounced with the same vigor that Christians also opposed it.  It is highly probable (although Paul does not say so) that an unnamed charismatic figure with a new teaching had caused much controversy and attracted many followers.  We know from Epaphras’ report and Paul’s response to it that practioners of this false religion were stirring up trouble for the new churches in the area.  Paul’s letter to the Colossians contains his instructions to the Colossian Christians as to how to respond.  

As we discover in this section of the epistle (the second half of chapter 2), the “Colossian heresy” emphasized participation in Jewish feasts (new moons and Sabbath observance) but to which was added the worship of angels–something which orthodox Jews would have thought blasphemous.  The law of God condemns the worship of any creature, only YHWH who is the true and living God.  This heretical teaching probably took the form of a religious mysticism (emphasizing personal experience) since its adherents worshiped invisible creatures (angels), sought visions, and practiced rigorous forms of self-denial, which, it was thought, made one ready and/or worthy for participation in this group’s various rituals.  Difficult rules keep out the hangers-on, and folks who are not really serious about spiritual things.  Based upon what Paul does tell us in his response, the “Colossian Heresy” is probably a combination of some local pagan religion (found in the Lycus Valley) mixed with traditional Jewish teaching, and would have been condemned by both Christians and Jews.

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"In Him" -- Colossians 2:6-15

The Fifth in a Series of Sermons on Colossians

One of the unique emphases of Reformed theology is the doctrine of “union with Christ,” which arises from reflection upon the letters of Paul.  Union with Christ is the answer to one of the theological problems created by the death, resurrection, and ascension of Jesus.  The problem is this–since Jesus has ascended into heaven where he presently rules over all things, how then do we participate in all his saving benefits since he is no longer physically present with us on the earth?  The answer given throughout the New Testament, and especially in the letters of Paul, is through our union with Christ–a union established between each believer and Jesus by the indwelling Holy Spirit, a union which commences immediately the moment we believe in Jesus and are justified (being declared righteous).  This union endures until we die and enter the Lord’s presence.  To believe in Jesus is to be indwelt by the Holy Spirit in which Jesus has baptized us.  To believe in Jesus is to be united to him in his three-fold on-going office of prophet, priest, and king.  To be baptized into Jesus is to be baptized into his death and resurrection, the visible sign and seal of Jesus’ saving work and of our union with him.  To believe in Jesus is to be “in Christ.”

The believer’s union with Christ is just one of the points Paul makes in his response to the so-called Colossian heresy, which the Epistle of Colossians is written to refute.  In refuting this heresy, Paul has argued for the supremacy of Jesus by speaking of Jesus as creator of all things and firstborn from the dead (in his resurrection), thereby commencing his work of new creation in which Jesus reconciles sinners to God and is head of his church.  Through our union with Jesus, we are members of his church which is his body (manifest through membership in a local congregation).  Because we are said to be “in Christ,” we are in union with Jesus in his death and resurrection, and as Paul points out in verse 24 of chapter 1, we are also united to Jesus in the fellowship of his sufferings.    

Throughout the opening chapter of Colossians, Paul has made his case for the supremacy of Jesus as Lord of all things, based upon that which was revealed to Paul by Jesus himself, what Paul describes as the mystery hidden for long ages past in the Old Testament, to which Paul repeatedly alludes as he makes his case.  In fact, there are many overlooked but loud echoes from the Old Testament in Colossians 1.  The mystery now revealed through the preaching of the gospel, is the person and work of Jesus, which Paul says was being proclaimed throughout much of the first century Mediterranean world in churches such as those in Colossae (to which Paul writes) and Laodicea (which he mentions).  When Jesus entered human history to accomplish the work of our redemption, the mystery was “revealed.”  This is worth considering as one of the main points in Paul’s refutation of the Colossian heresy.  Nothing secret about Christianity.  Jesus’ saving work was very public and unfolds in ordinary human history–not within the human heart, nor tied to secret powers and forces supposedly at work in the universe.

There is much packed into our text (vv. 6-15) of Colossians 2, so we will proceed as follows.  First, we will take up Paul’s discussion in verses 6-7 of the importance of holding fast to the things which the Colossians have been taught by Epaphras, their pastor.  Then, second, we will consider what Paul means when he speaks of  “plausible arguments” (v. 4), the kinds of arguments the Christians in Colossae were facing from the false teachers–that which Paul will describe as “philosophy, deceit, and tradition” grounded in elemental things, not in Christ (v. 8).  Third, in verses 9-10, Paul explains that all true spiritual fulness is found only in Jesus–God incarnate.  Paul goes on to explain in verse 11-15 how Christians are united to Christ so as to experience this spiritual fulness.  Then we will wrap up by making several points of application.

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"Christ in You, the Hope of Glory" -- Colossians 1:24-2:5

The Fourth in a Series of Sermons on Colossians

Paul is under house arrest in Rome awaiting his appearance before Caesar.  During this time, he will write letters to the churches in Philippi and Colossae, a circular letter to the church in Ephesus, and a personal letter to a man named Philemon–all of which are included in our New Testament.  Paul has heard from Epaphras–the pastor of the church in Colossae who is with Paul in Rome–that the church in Colossae is doing well, but that it is now facing a serious challenge from false teaching.  An unnamed false teacher (or teachers) was contending that the key to finding spiritual fulfillment is found in a mixture of pagan and Jewish practices, which, from what we glean from Paul’s response, included keeping Sabbaths, observing rigorous dietary laws, worshiping angels and seeking visions.  Paul describes this as a philosophy, a human tradition, and an extreme form of self-denial (asceticism).  Paul’s response is to affirm the supremacy of Jesus over all things.  As we have seen, and will see again, there is much in this letter which speaks to our own situation today–Christians in the midst of an increasingly pagan culture, with false religions and false teachers on every side.

We are continuing our series on Paul’s Epistle to the Colossians.  Last time we took up another of the so-called “Christ hymns” cited by Paul in the opening chapter, this time the hymn in Colossians 1:15-20.  Our study of this hymn happened to fit perfectly with the fact that it was also the first Sunday in Advent.  As we saw, this particular Christ hymn reveals a great deal about the person and work of Jesus, who, as the hymn affirms, is the very image of God and the creator of all things.  As firstborn from the dead, Jesus begins his work of new creation when he conquers sin and death in his resurrection.  It is Jesus who reconciles rebellious sinners unto God and then incorporates those reconciled into his church.  Since the Sundays in Advent focus upon the Incarnation of Jesus (his supernatural conception) leading up to Christmas (Jesus’ birth) it was quite appropriate to begin Advent by looking at one of the most important Christological passages in all the New Testament.  Just who it is who came to save us from our sins–Jesus, the very image of God, in whom God’s fulness was pleased to dwell, who is also firstborn from the dead, and head of his church.

This time out, we will see another similar (if unintended) connection between Paul’s discussion of Jesus as “the hope of glory,” and that one in whom hidden mysteries are revealed, and this, the second Sunday of Advent.  Traditionally, the second Sunday of Advent is devoted to John the Baptists’s role in pointing Israel to the coming of the Messiah–focusing upon the expectation and hope that the promised redeemer would finally come to save his people.  And so, when in Colossians 1:27 Paul speaks of Jesus as the hope of glory, and then in chapter 2:3 points out that in Jesus the wisdom and knowledge of God are revealed, we are directed by Paul to consider the incarnation as the revelation of God’s glory, and whose return at the end of the age is the hope of all believers in Jesus.  Such hope is a good thing to consider, especially in light of the fact that this is the second Sunday in Advent.

As we turn to our text, Colossians 1:24-2:5, we come to a new section of the Colossian letter in which the Apostle Paul describes the nature of the mystery revealed to him–that in Jesus’ incarnation and messianic mission to Israel, God has fulfilled his promise to redeem his people from sin’s guilt and its power.  To accomplish this, Jesus (who is the creator of all things and the very image of God) took to himself a true human nature in the womb of the virgin and came to earth to reconcile sinners to God through his once for all sacrifice for sin–his blood shed for us upon the cross, reminding us of the difficult but obvious truth that Jesus must suffer and die to save us from our sins.  As that one entrusted to preach this message to the Gentiles, Paul explains the hardships he has endured for the cause of Christ and his church–including the Christians in Colossae.  As Paul told the Colossians (v. 23), it is to this work of preaching that God has called Paul as a minister of the gospel.

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"The Image of the Invisible God" -- Colossians 1:15-23

The Third in a Series of Sermons on Paul's Letter to the Colossians

Whatever the Colossian Heresy was exactly, Paul’s answer to it is to show forth the supremacy of Jesus over all things.  To do that, Paul utilizes an early Christian hymn which speaks of Jesus as the very image of God and the creator of all things, who, in his work of new creation, delivers his people from the consequences of Adam’s fall–sin and death-reconciling them to God and calling them into his church, of which, He, Jesus, is the head.  The content of this hymn provides Christians with some of the most important teaching about Jesus found anywhere in the New Testament–a so called “high” Christology–and sets the stage for much of what follows in the balance of Paul’s letter to the church in Colossae.  Paul utilizes this hymn to set forth Jesus as the only one in whom true spiritual fullness is found (contrary to the false teachers promoting the Colossian heresy), as well as to make the point that because Jesus is creator of all things, he is that one who delivers his people from the realm of darkness (vain philosophy, human traditions, religious legalism).  

As we continue our series on Colossians, we will take up a passage loaded with doctrinal content about the person and work of Jesus.  In his incarnation, the second person of the Holy Trinity, Jesus, takes to himself a true human nature in the womb of the virgin, conceived by the supernatural power of the Holy Spirit.  While the gospels focus upon the events surrounding the miraculous conception and birth of Jesus, the New Testament epistles often focus upon the meaning of Jesus’ person and work, including a discussion of Christ’s two natures–one human, one divine–yet which exist in one person, Jesus the Christ, along with detailed reflection upon his saving work on the cross and in his bodily resurrection from the dead.  All of this is found in the “Christ hymn” of Colossians 1:15-20.  
No sooner had the apostolic churches been founded, these churches soon encountered those who either misunderstood, or else intentionally distorted, what was revealed about Jesus in the gospels, and which was proclaimed and taught by the apostles.  The Colossian heresy is one of those instances in which false teaching arose in one of these newly-founded churches in the Lycus Valley in Asia Minor.  When this false teaching was brought to Paul’s attention by Epaphras, the founding pastor of the church in Colossae, the apostle responds with this letter, the Epistle to the Colossians.  As F. F. Bruce puts it, “the intelligent appreciation for the doctrine of Christ is the best safeguard against most forms of heretical teaching and certainly against that which was currently threatening the peace of the Colossian Christians.”  The same holds true today.  The more we know about the person and work of Jesus, the more successful we will be in our witness to others, the greater our personal devotion to him, and the better our response to those who challenge our faith, much as the Colossians were experiencing.

In Colossians 1:15-20, part of our text this morning (we will get as far as verse 23), we come to another of the so-called “Christ hymns” found throughout the writings of Paul.  We recently covered a similar Christ hymn, the so-called Carmen Christi of Philippians 2:6-11, which, you may recall has a similar literary structure as well as similar content which uses highly exalted language of Jesus drawn from the Old Testament.  We do not know if these hymns were used in Christian worship before Paul incorporated them into his letters.  It is certainly a possibility that Paul composed them when writing the letters in which they appear, but they do seem to predate Paul.  Both Christ hymns identify Jesus as one with YHWH (i.e., Jesus is God), both speak of his incarnation (Jesus taking to himself a true human nature), and in both Philippians 2 and here, Paul draws heavily upon Old Testament passages which foretell, or prefigure the coming of Jesus as Israel’s Messiah and the Son of God.  If we wish to be good students of Paul, we need to train ourselves to look for these echoes and allusions to the Old Testament (especially from the Psalms) which are found throughout his letters.

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"He Has Delivered Us" -- Colossians 1:3-14

The Second in a Series of Sermons on Paul's Letter to the Colossians

One of the unique (and often overlooked) things about Paul’s letter to the Colossians is the large number of echoes from the Old Testament as the Apostle makes his case for the supremacy of Jesus over all things.  Paul is responding to those in Colossae who were held captive to philosophy, human tradition, and a legalistic form of religion whose followers sought to disqualify the Colossians from their inheritance in Christ.  Paul had never visited the church in Colossae, but he has heard from their founding pastor how this congregation was doing well, despite struggling with false teachers who were, apparently, making inroads into the church.  Paul does not identify the specific nature of this false teaching–known as the Colossian heresy–but from his comments, we learn much about it.  Paul’s response to this heresy is to contend for the supremacy of Jesus over all things, and is drawn largely from the Old Testament.  Paul reminds us that Jesus is the creator of all things, but after Adam subjected God’s creation to the curse–sin and death–Jesus came as a second Adam who begins a work of new creation.  All of God’s people participate in this work which comes about through the message of the gospel–the proclamation of Jesus’ death for our sins, and his resurrection from the dead.  The second Adam will undo the curse and triumph over all those who seek to disrupt his church.  Whatever the doctrinal details of the Colossian Heresy, Paul’s answer is to proclaim the supremacy of Jesus over all things.

We are returning to our series on Colossians.  Last we time spent much of our time answering the three questions we need to ask and answer whenever we take up a new study of any book of the Bible.  “Who wrote this book?”  Paul.  “When did he write it?”  While imprisoned in Rome in the early 60's of the first century.  “Why was it written?”  To respond to the issues in the Colossian church associated with the Colossian Heresy which was brought to Paul’s attention by their pastor Epaphras.  The Letter to the Colossians is Paul’s response.

We spent much of our time last week on Paul’s introductory comments, noting that Paul is this epistle’s author–despite the claims to the contrary made by critical scholars–and that the co-sender was Paul’s close associate, the young pastor, Timothy.  We also took notice of the fact that while at first glance the epistle opens with Paul’s standard greeting, it should be noted that Paul makes an unusual reference to God as Father of Jesus, when his usual manner is to refer to God as the Father of believers.  This reflects Paul’s concern to highlight the Father’s relationship to Jesus in this epistle, which was written to demonstrate that Jesus is Lord over all things.

One of the surprising things about the Book of Colossians is the extensive number of echoes (allusions) from various Old Testament passages which prefigure, or otherwise can be brought to bear to help Paul make his case that Jesus, as creator of all things, possesses a superiority as well as an authority which no creature can.  Although Paul never does specifically identify the Colossian Heresy (i.e., who was teaching it, or its specific doctrines), we can assume from Paul’s rebuttal that this group was at least, in part, indebted to Jewish teaching.  Paul mentions a stress upon festivals, new moons, Sabbath observance, and dietary restrictions.  This may be one reason why Paul, like the author to the Book of Hebrews, turns to the Old Testament to set forth his case for the supremacy of Jesus.  But there are non-Jewish elements here as well–asceticism (rigorous self-denial of pleasurable things), the worship of angels, a stress on visions, and a form of sensuality.  Whatever the Colossian Heresy was–probably a local syncretistic religion taught by a local figure–it sounds much like the kind of religious stuff featured on PBS or Oprah (Joseph Campbell’s Power of Myth, Deepak Chopra, Eckhart Tolle and Wayne Dyer).

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"To the Saints in Christ at Colossae" -- Colossians 1:1-14

The First in a Series of Sermons on Paul's Letter to the Colossians

If Paul’s letter to the Colossians has a single theme, it is the Lordship of Jesus over all of creation.  In this letter Paul makes his case that Jesus is the visible image of the invisible God, and secures salvation for all of his people through his work of new creation which even now Jesus is ushering in through his death, resurrection, and ascension, and the outpouring of the Holy Spirit.  Paul’s focus upon the person and work of Jesus throughout this epistle will help us (hopefully) prepare for the Advent season and Christmas when we celebrate the birth of that Savior about whom Paul so eloquently writes in Colossians.  Christmas (I mean the biblical and Christian celebration of the birth of Jesus–which should not be confused with the secular holiday celebrated by our contemporaries at the exact same time)–is a wonderful time for Christians and gives us a great opportunity to reflect upon who Jesus is and what he has done for us when he secured our peace with God through the blood of the cross.

Whenever we begin a new study of any book of the Bible it is important to consider three questions: 1). Who wrote this book? 2). When it was written? and 3). Why was it written?  If we do not take the time to do this, we risk missing the main point(s) of the book and open ourselves to error by looking at things out of context or without regard to what this book meant to those to whom it was originally sent.  The reason why this exercise in what is known as New Testament Introduction is so important is that letters like Colossians were written by the Apostle Paul to first century churches facing a number of trials and difficulties.  Sometimes these trials virtually mirror situations we face today.  But sometimes they do not (at least specifically).  The goal in taking the time to ask and answer these three questions is to present the material covered in each book in such a way as to understand the original historical situation and so that we can then draw appropriate application to our situation in light of our unique circumstances.  But we cannot do this properly without answers to the “who,” “when,” and “why” questions–so we will spend our time answering these three questions before turning to the opening verses.

We start with “who wrote Colossians?  The Apostle Paul.  In this case, the “when” question is closely connected to the “who” question, so we will tackle them together.  Colossians is one of the so-called “prison epistles,” which was likely written while the apostle was under house arrest in Rome.  We spent a significant amount of time discussing the impact of Paul’s imprisonment in our just completed series on Philippians, so I will not repeat that discussion here.  The so-called “prison epistles” of Paul also include Paul’s letters to Ephesians (which we covered back in 2009) and the short letter of Philemon.  These four epistles all come from the same point in Paul’s ministry (during his imprisonment in Rome after his third missionary journey) and can be dated about the same time–the early 60's of the first century.  

It is impossible to tell which of these letters was written first (Philippians, or Colossians, Ephesians, and Philemon), but Paul’s mention of Epaphroditus and the gift he brought from the Philippian church is a good indication that Philippians was written on a separate occasion in close proximity to the time he composed the other three prison letters.  The specific situation for Paul’s writing and sending Philippians is Epaphroditus’ return to Philippi after he recovered his health.

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